A Lingering Flame
by Mirakol
Summary: When a ninja from his past who was supposed to be dead comes back to the villiage.....the leader of Squad 10 will have to make the hardest decisions of his life before he loses the love of his life....again...
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Blood. Cold, dark blood was all she saw. Nothing more. She didn't know if it was real or non-exisnant, all she could look at was the floor. She screamed, hoping someone could hear her, but nothing came of it. Slowly, she sank to the floor, turning as she descended, not wanting to look at it anymore. The smell of their burning flesh still quite strong.

_I did this. It's because I can't control it. It's my fault._

Quickly, she fled. Not wanting to return, she sought refuge at the only place she could. She ran across the open field and climbed the stairs that were encased in darkness. The wooden box was dark and quite. She pulled the cold blankets over her drenched body and tired to forget. Forget where she was, forget _why _she was there. Maybe morning would come and this would all be a dream. She prayed that was the real truth.

Morning came and she did not feel any better. Their burning flesh still smelled horrible, even out in the fresh morning air. She would need to go soon, in fear of someone finding her. But she had nowhere to go. No one to turn to. She sat in her make-shift bed for a moment before gathering herself. She climbed down the stairs and walked across the field, trying without any reward to block out the horrid smell coming from within the compound. She passed by the room they were in and ran to her own bedroom. She gathered all the things she would need and shoved them into the backpack she used on missions.

_All set. I still have nowhere to go, but nowhere is still better than here._

Running through the compound, she thought about going for help. But who would ask for it? Her friends? They would shun her for being a freak of nature. Her family? She had no more left, so that was defiantly out of the question.

_Well, I guess it's just going to be me until I'm old enough to become a professional. Until then, this is goodbye. _

She ran to the gates at the far end of her village. They were open as always. She quickly stepped over the line that had been permanently been left in the ground from the doors when they were closed. She ran as fast as she could, never once looking back.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

The Homecoming

"Hurry Kakashi! We are going to be late for our meeting. If we are, I shall run 2,000 laps around Konoha! Yosh!" Gai quickened his pace as the silver haired ninja kept his face in his book.

The two arch-rivals entered the hokages office to find it surprisingly empty. The only ones present were themselves, Jiriya, Asuma, Anko, Tsunade herself, and Kakashi's former teammate, and present girlfriend, Rin.

"No doubt you are all wondering why you are here. I'm sorry to say that there is an urgent matter that you five might want to hear about." Tsunade stood from behind her desk and walked towards the doors. "Please come with me. Jiriya, you are to stay here in case any other matter pops up." The white haired pervert nodded and sat down behind the desk and put his feet up before dozing off into a quite slumber.

The remaining four followed their hokage down a flight of stairs and down a brightly lit hallway. She stopped abruptly, causing a pile-up of ninjas.

"I'm sure you all remember the tragedy of the Yuuhi clan ten years ago. Every one of their clans members were wiped out including the head family of the clan, Lord Kazero and Lady Minako." The five in front of her nodded remembering the head of the family wasn't the only one who lost their life that night.

"I want you all to look into this room and give me an explanation as to why this has happened." She opened the door and allowed the others to follow her into the room. What they saw was shocking.

The only bed in the room was occupied by a woman around twenty-two with long black hair. Her pale skin glowed in the light coming from the window beside her. She had many cuts and scrapes on her face and visible arm. She also had a large bandage covering what looked to be a large gash on her neck. She looked horrible, yet beautiful at the same time. Her eyes were closed yet they were slightly open, as if they were fighting to open. The tiniest bit of red could be seen.

"Who...Is she?" Rin finally asked, breaking the eerie silence that had come over them.

"You five are looking at the only remaining member of the Yuuhi clan. Yuuhi Kurenai."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

But, she was dead...

"No...That's not possible. She died along with the rest of her clan and you know that very well Tsunade-sama." Kakashi looked back and forth between the woman on the bed and Tsunade, waiting for an answer.

"Kakashi, you know as well as I do that there should be no way in hell she is alive. But either way, by some cosmic twist of fate, she is."

Rin glanced towards Tsunade, silently apologizing for Kakashi before turning her eyes back to Kurenai. She had been best friends with the girl when they were younger and was devastated when she heard of her death. She knew of no one else who had been as close to the girl as she had been, except one.

As if sensing someone else was in the room with her, Kurenai's eyes shot open only to close right after. She began breathing deeply as if trying to catch her breath.

"Where the hell am I?" She asked.

"You are in a hospital in the middle of Konohagakure. You were brought here after you were found near our borders. You were badly injured and in need of medical attention." Tsunade approached the end of the bed and picked up the clip board that hung from a small rope.

"Who are you? You look familiar somehow." Kurenai squinted to try and get a clear picture of who was talking to her.

"Why don't you tell us who you are first and then we will tell you who we are." Kakashi came into view and she gasped. She had not seen the masked face for quite some time but she would never forget who it belonged to.

"Ka...Kakashi?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Do you remember me?

Kurenai watched as Kakashi backed away letting four other people come into view. One wore a green jumpsuit and a chunnin vest. Another was shorter than the rest and had purple marks on her cheeks that were slightly hidden by her long brown hair. The second female had on a long trench coat and had spikey hair. The last person caused Kurenai to pause and look at him. The last time they had been in the presence of each other, he had been much shorter. He still had that stupid haircut and his signature cigarette hanging from his mouth.

"Kurenai..is it really you? Oh, we thought you were dead!" Rin ran to her old friends side and hugged her, not knowing what to except. Kurenai did not push her away.

"Rin. It's been awhile. How are you? How are all of you?"She looked back and forth betweeen Rin and the others before Gai came running over screaming something about how youth never seams to fade even in death or something.

She blocked them all out as he approached. She turned her head and smiled at him the way she always used to. It was the one thing in the world that could knock him down if it were a punch.

Kakashi placed a hand on his friends shoulder and gave him a reassuring look. Asuma nodded and went towards the rest of the babbling crowd that had formed around Kurenai's hospital bed. Rin broke away from the group and stood with Kakashi a moment before laughing.

"Whats so funny?" He asked her.

"You. You're just standing here. She's gonna think you don't like her or something." She continued as he looked at her, slightly upset. He placed a hand to his heart and gasped comically.

"That hurt. I thought you really cared for me Rin. You just made me an even bigger emo than I was before." 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

What _Really _Happend 

She was still running. She had come to that conclusion after they had left. She was still running from her past, but fate had decided to bring her back to the root of her torture. She wondered what the others would think if they knew. She wondered what _he _would think if he knew.

"Kurenai? Oh, good your up. Tsunade-sama just wanted me to tell you that you would be allowed to leave after your tests come back today. You must be so excited to be back in the villiage, considering you haven't been here since...well, you know."

"Rin...Does everybody know what happend that night? I mean, to my family?" Kurenai looked at the medic and saw how her face changed from a smile to a somewhat sad look.

"Well...Everybody saw your house after it happend. We were told that there were no survivors. Anko wanted to go in and see for herself, but we held her back. Then Asuma asked about you and no one siad anything. At your _funeral _ the 3rd said that you had been one of the most gifted students he had ever seen. You did have a knack for gen-jutsu!"

"Well...how about we spar some after I get out? I want to see if _your _skills have improved." As Rin left, she didn't notice the evil smirk that come to place itself on Kurenai's lips.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

And so it begins...

Kunais dropped to the ground. There was some blood on them, but not much. Kakashi appulded and walked to his girlfriend, wrapping one of her arms across his shoulders. Rin was breathing heavily and had a few cuts on her arm. Kurenai had no cuts. Not a single one.

"You've improved greatly Rin. I'm still surprised I beat you!" Kurenai started to laugh as Gai and Asuma walked over.

"Hey guys. Wheres Anko?" Rin looked around for the girl, but she was no where to be seen.

"Shes home. Asleep. She had to much sake again and well, you know." Asuma lit a cigarette and sat down next to Kurenai.

She turned and looked at him as he smoked away at his cigarette. She smiled and laughed as she stood once again.

"Come on Asuma. You vs. me." He looked at her like she was crazy. Seeeing no way out of the challenge, he stood and walked over to a spot across from her.

"Alright. But I'm warning you, I have gotten better since the last time we met." He got out his trench knifes and flew at her. She barley had time to duck.

Bits of black hair fell to the ground as their owner continued to dogde attacks coming from her opponent. Just ten minutes later, the fight was over. The victor stood proudly as he put away his weapons. Kurenai knelt in front of him, wipping away some blood that had dripped down from her forehead.

"That wasn't fair. You had an advantage." She grabbed for the knifes but he caught her hand and spun her around, with her arm going up her back.

_Somethings different about you Kurenai. I just can't place it. _

Asuma released her watched as she went over to the others.

"I want a rematch. Tonight. Eight o'clock. And this time, you are not allowed to use those." And with that, she dissapered in a cloud of smoke.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It's all coming back to me now..

It had begun raining even before their rematch had started. Her black hair stuck to the back of her neck as she waited for him to procced with his next move. He lungded at her, but she dogded. Their fight blazed on as old mememories came flooding into her mind. Mememories of her friends, her family, and mememories of the person she had cared for fort he longest of times. That same person was in front of her now.

She had been so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't see the four kunais comeing at her. She didn't realize what had happend until she crashed into the tree behind her. Suddenly, he was in front of her placing it at her thorat. She breathed heavily.

"Whats the matter with you Kurenai? Ever since you've been back, you seem different. Tell me." He leanded his arm over her shoulder and onto the tree, resting his head on her shoulder.

"I...I can't. You would never understand. Nobody can ever know." She closed her eyes and finally let the tears come.

"Hey, you can tell me. It's obviously bugging you, so tell me." He wipped away a stream of tears that were sliding down her cheeks before romoving the kunais, allowing her to stand on her own.

"Alright. You when. But I'm not going to lie, its a very long story."

"I've got all night."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 

Where it all began, and where it all ended.

Rin stared out at the rain. She had not left the spot for nearly half an hour. Kakashi came and stood next to her, waiting for her to speak.

"I'm worried out them Kakashi. Both their apartments are in this direction, I would have seen them walk past. They _should _have walked past. Do you really think Kurenai was going to hurt him?" She looked up at his face.

Only with Rin could Kakashi be himself. And only with Rin could he allow himself to remove his mask. He looed down at her and sighed, turning his attention back at the rain.

"I don't know. This is probably hurting him than it is her, her being back that is." He closed his eyes as if ni deep thought.

"Why?"

"Well, when we recived the news of her death, he wouldn't accept it, to say the least. He was so in love with her, he didn't want to believe she was gone. It wasn't that long ago that he finally decided she wasn't coming back. He was ready to move on, but.."

"She came back."Rin looked at him sadly, trying to imagine the pain Asuma was going through. She couldn't picture herself without Kakashi. Kakashi was having the same problem.

The couple walked to their bedroom and laid in their bed. Once under the covers, in the safety of each others arms, Kakashi kissed the top of Rin's head.

_I love you Rin. I just hope Asuma realizes he still loves her before shes gone again._

The silver haired ninja drifted off to sleep, unaware of hooded figure standing outside his window, watching as he and his lover slept.

"Soon, you will all know the pain I have gone through to finish this."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Forgive,Forget, and Remember

She pourded her heart out to him. He had stood there and taken it all. When she had finally finished her story, her tears were coming in heavier streams, and she was shaking.

He pulled her close and held her there for what seamed to be an eternity.

"I don't blame you Kurenai. No one will blame you. So, you have a kekkei genkai that you didn't know about. You couldn't control it. When you think about it, it's their fault for not telling you about it. They knew the risks and paid the price." She looked up at him. Her tears had stopped and she wasn't shakeing anymore.

He felt her move her arms so that they were wrapped around his body as his were hers. She closed her eyes and rested her her head on his chest.

"When I left, I wanted so badly to turn around and stay. I didn't want to leave, but I had to. I...I actually wanted...I wanted you to come with me.I knew I would miss you so much, and I was right." he looked down at her and smiled. He lifted her head to face him.

"Then why didn't you come get me?" He closed the gap between them and their lips met.

She deepened it and they stood there for a long time before they broke for air.

"Lets go. It's getting kinda cold out here. And besides, I think someone else is out here." He placed an arm around her shoulders and started walking towards his apartment.

As they were walking,she threw a quick glance over her shoulder, just in time to see a hooded figure disapear into the shadows of the night.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Please, for give me...

As she walked side by side with Asuma, Kurenai sensed something following them. She stopped, cause his arm to fall.

"What's wrong? Kurenai?"

"Theres soemone following us. Asuma...I haven't really been telling you everything. When I left Konoha, I went to the Otogakure...I found Orochimaru there."

He grabbed her shoulders and spun her to look him square in the eye.

"What did he do to you?" His face had a mixture of hate,anger and concern on it. His cigarette had been put on long ago by the heavy rain.

She sighed and raised an arm to her left shoulder. She pulled down the sleve of her shirt to reveal her bare shoulder.

"Ok...Not to be rude, but what is some important about your shoul.." He cut off his own sentence as the rain began to wash away at her shoulder.

Four black dots appered with a fith in the middle. She rubbed at it some more to make sure no more was covered.

"I use make-up to cover it." She answerd his next before he even asked it.

"He...He cursed you?"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

How could this happen to her?

Asuma stared at the curse mark for a long time. Kurenai kept her eyes on the ground, not dareing to look at him. She felt him touch his fingers to the mark, trying to see if it was really there.

"He said the four outer dots represented nin-jutsu, tai-justu, gen-justu, and my kekkei genkai. The center dot represents _his _power over _me._"

"Is that who I saw earlier? What dose he want with you?"

"He wants her abbilities, what else?" The hooded figure emerged from his hidding place behind a building.

Asuma stood in front of Kurenai protectivly, reaching for his trench knifes in the same move.

"You know those won't help. Lord Orochimaru wants her, not you. I could kill you and he wouldn't even care. Or, if you let me take her, you can live...I can't say the sam thing for her though." He dropped his hood to reveal a somewhat handsome face covered by shaggy brown hair. His blue eyes resembeled those of Rin, who was still sound asleep in her and Kakashi's bed.

"Your not takeing Kurenai. Fuck Orochimaru, he's never gonna have her.He can go to hell first."

"Well, I guess that he's long gone then." A cold, malice filled voice spoke from behind Asuma. He spun around to see another ninja, but this one was female. She had very long red hair. Her purple eyes were far different than her conrads.

Under her right arm was another female. Unconcious, with long black hair that toppled to the ground.

"Kurenai!" The male enemy blocked his grasp and punched his fist into Asuma's stomache. He was sent flying back, hitting a hard brick wall.

As he drifted into unconciousness, he could just make out two figues departing. He could see as they flipped Kurenai over the mans shoulder.

_Kurenai...forgive me..._

He finally gave into the darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Wakeing up in strange places.

Asuma opened his eyes to find he wasn't outside. He sat up slowly and found himself in a dark room with only a dim lamp beside him lighting the room. A Chair was placed in the darkness and he could just make-out the out lines of clothes. He dressed and stepped out into a long hallway.

"So, sleeping beauty decided to wake up huh?" He turned around to see Anko behind him, walking right past.

"Asuma!Oh thank goodness Anko found you, you could have been out there for hours!" Rin appered at the end of the hall, holding a blue and green mug in her hands.

"Out there? Where was-" He suddenly remembered where he had been.

_Kurenai!_

"Rin! Wheres Kurenai? Is she alright? Tell me where the hell she is?" He grabbed Rin by her shoulders, causeing her to drop the mug, spilling tea everywhere.

"Kurenai?Asuma, man, you were the only one out there. Anko said it looked like there had been a fight, but we just assumed it had been from your rematch with Kurenai." Kakashi lifted Asumas hands off Rins shoulders and led him to the couch.

"NO! We were haveing our rematch and then...she told me what happened. She said that...she killed her family. She has a kekkei genkai that allows her to minipulate fire to her own will. She said she lost control of it and burned her whole family alive. We were on our way back when she told me when she left, she had gone to Otogakure." Rin, Anko and Kakashi stared at him in shock. None of them had prosessed the fact Kurenai had killed her own family, let alone that she went to Otogakure.

"She went to Oto...but then, isn't that...She found him didn't she? She found Orochimaru?" Kakshi looked at his good friend questioningly, waiting for an answer.

"Yeah. He cursed her. We were on our way back when these two ninjas appered. They said they had come for Kurenai. Orochimaru sent them. They got her." He curled his hand into a fist and punch his knee.

_I'll find you Kurenai. I'll find you and bring you back. orochimaru isn't going to hurt you anymore. I promise._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The point of no return

In a remote area, Kurenai began to wake. Her head was pounding and her arms were bound. She tried to stand, but fell back down.

_They sapped my chakara. If they did that, why would my arms be bound? It dosen't matter, you need to get yourself out. NOW!_

She rolled over and came face to face with her hunter.

"Orochimaru. I see you haven't croaked yet. Tell me, who long dose it take someone in your position to die?" She motioned to the bandages wrapped around his mid-section.

"You will pay for that, you little bitch. My wounds are almost healed, and by the time they are, your powers will be mine and Konaha will fall." He un-locked her cell and entered. He knelt down in front of her and traced a slimy finger down the side of her face.

"It will be shamefull to ruin such a beautiful body. Maybe I will, have a little fun before I take your powers." Kurenai shuddered as a chill went flying down her spine.

"You'll never win. They won't let you." She gave him the dirtiest look she could manage. He stood and turned to walk away. He paused.

"You think your friends will stop me? My dear, your friends will be the first to die." And with that he walked out of her cell, heading down the dark, candle lit hallway, not once looking back to see the fear that incased Kurenai's face.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Here we go again..

Kurenai fought against the ropes binding her arms.

_I'm not gonna let you kill them Orochimaru. I WILL prevent their deaths...even if I kill myself in the process. _

Kabuto came in with her food and placed it down infront of her. He laughed as he watched her strugle against the ropes.

"You do realize nothing will happen.Stupid girl." Kurenai broke her train of thought for a minute and began to think he was right. She immedatly broke that thought when she felt her ropes slacken.

"I'm stupid? I think the stupid one is the person who just let their guard down."

"What?" She jumped up and grabed him through the bars of her cell. She held his head between her arms, keeping her legs wrapped around his body to have him remain in place.

"Now your going to give me the keys to this cell, and then your going to give me the antidote for my chakara." He nodded slightly while reaching for the keys.

"Good boy.Now the antidote." She opened the door as he walked over to the cabinet ajasent to her cell.

He took out a needle filled with a blue liquid. She immedatly grabbed it and shoved it into her arm. Once the needle was empty, she look back at Kabuto. She grabbed him and threw him into the cell, lockingit behind him.

She left the room in a hurry, runnig down every hall she came across.

Kabuto was left smileing to himself. He pulled another needle out of his vest and smashed it into the floor. The green liquid made a small puddle, not very big.

"Stupid girl indeed."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapet 15

Kurenai's journey and Asuma's struggle

The three jounin jumped from branch to branch following the little brown dog.

"Find anything Pakkun?" Rin asked the dog.

"It's very faint but I smell a human up ahead. I can't tell if it's a friend or an enemy yet though, so be prepared."

The three of them had been on Kurenais trail since the night she was taken, four days ago. Rin wanted to wait until they had more evidence it had acutally been orochimaru before they went, but Asuma was rearing to go and Kakashi wasn't about to get in his way, and Rin wouldn't let Kakashi go without her.

"Its a female. Shes hurt. Lets go." The four arrived in the clearing she was in.

The woman was covered in cuts, some old and some new. She wore a red tube top with long sleeves the hung from the sides of the shirt. Her white pants where cut as well.

"KURENAI!" The thrre humans ran to her and turned her over. She was breathing but barley.

"Rin?" Kakashi saw her preforming hand signs and her hands started to glow green.

"Come on. Wake up. Please." Asuma and Kakashi watched as Rin poured more chakara into her friends body.

Kurenai started couching harshly and Asuma rushed to sit her up-right.

"Hey..."And she fainted.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Tell me...tell me everything

She was right back where she started. In the exact same room, in the exact same bed. The same people were there too, but their was only three. Two men and one female.

"Isn't deja vu getting really old?" She mumbled while sitting up, the others rushed to her side.

"Kurenai!Oh, thank-goodness. We thought you wouldn't make it."Rin started crying and Kakashi hugged her to him.

Asuma grabbed Kurenai's hand and held it in his own.

" What happened out there? The last thing _I _ remember is those two freaks takeing you away."

" They took me right to Orochimaru. They sapped my chakara and everything. I managed to get Kabuto and forced him to let me out. I got the antidote from him to."

"Then why where you unconcious when we found you yesterday?"

"I was stupid. I didn't even check to make sure he had actually given me the antidote. What he gave me was a poison." She started to cough but it passed.

Asuma nodded a couple of times and kissed the top of her head. He left the room and Kakashi followed him, leaving Rin and Kurenai.

"That bastard just got himself killed. He _poisoned _ her. Thats the last straw." Kakashi nodded, not wanting to interfear with his friends actions.

"We'll leave at sunrise, Asuma. Your not going alone, either take me with you, or I won't let you go at all." Kakashi leaned onto the hospital wall and spoke in a cold voice.

"Alright." He walked back into the room.

"Rin, can I get a moment. Alone."Rin left looking at Kakashi questioningly.

Asuma walked uo to Kurenais bed and sat on the side. Neither said anything for a long time. They just sat in scilence. kurenai broke the scilence after about ten minutes.

"Just...be carefull. Both of us don't need to be in here." She smiled when he looked at her, surprised at what she had said. He leaned down so he was just hovering over her face.

"I'll come back. You just worry about getting out of here." He kissed her and then left the room.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Haunted

Kurenai awoke the next morning to find Rin sound asleep in the chair next to the bed. She slowly got out of bed and walked to the balcony that broke away from her room. The wind swatted at her hair and pushed it out of her face to reveal tears.

" Kurenai? Oh, there you are, I...whats the matter?" Rin walked out and stood with her friend.

"I...I let him go. I just sent him to get killed." Rin watched as her friend shook.

"Kakashi is with him. They'll be alright. Those guys are pretty tough you know." Rin smiled slightly at this fact.

They were tough. They were strong. But...were they strong enough to stop Orochimaru?

"Rin...please forgive me."

"Huh-" A sharp pain erupted in Rin's stomache. A cold fist had made contact and she was slowly loseing conciousness.

"Kurenai...I...uh.." She passed out and was left there.

Kurenai jumped down from the balcony, almost 5 floors, and landed on the ground softly. She ran to the gates at the front of the villiage and passed right by them.

_Hang on guys. You won't be able to beat him if I'm not there, you'll need _my _power._

She continued running, unaware the same people who had captured her the first time were still on her trail.


	18. Chapter 18

AN:

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry!!!!!! I have been sooooooo busy with work and school and all that jazz and had an extreme case of writers block....I'll take ANY suggestions for the NEW chapters of A Lingering Flame!  
Thank-you all!!!! 3 


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 18

A rescue turned capture...

Kurenai rushed past bushes of thorns and up right tree roots to get to Asuma and Kakashi in time. Little did she know, she was the one being followed.

"Kagero, do you honestly think we will be able to captue this woman again? We had to wait until she was in a vunerable state last time but this time she's determined and has that kekkai genkai.." The red haired woman asked her partner.

"Ukita! I thought I told you not to worry about this? Just focus on getting her back...If we don't.....worry about what Lord Orochimaru will do to us instead of catching her." Ukita gulped and was silent for a long time.

Asuma and Pakun and stopped as Kakashi killed the last of Orochimaru's goonies.

"About time, now.." Pakun turned to face the opening to orochimaru's hid out.

"Let's finnish this." '_For Kurenai_.' At that, Asuma ran into the compund, not knowing where to go, but knowing what he was running in there for.


End file.
